Wax-thread sewing machine



June 19, 1923 F: E. .BERTRAND WAX THREAD SEWING MACHINE Original FiledJune 8. 1917 2 SheetsSheet 1 June 19, 1923.

1,459,388 F. E. BERTRAND WAX THREAD SEWING MACHINE Original Filed June8. 1917 Patented lune '19, 1923,

tW tTENT @FFHQE.

IEREDEEIC BERTRAND. 0F LYNN, lM IASSACHUSE-TTS, ASSIGNOR, BY IVEESNEASSIGN- IEENTS, T0 UNITED SHOE FYACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEWJERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEVJ' JERSEY.

AX-THREAD SEWING IMACHINE.

Application filed June 8, 1917, Serial No. 173,555.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l. Fnnonnio E. BER-- TRAND.a citizen of the United States, resid ing at Lynn, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts. have invented cer tain new and usefulImprovements in 78);- Thread Sewing ll lachines; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wax-thread sewinp machines, and moreparticularly to the class of machines provided with a work support and apresser-foot for positioning and holding the work during the sewing of aseam.

One object of the invention is to provide warethread sewing machines ofthe above class with an oscillating pull-oil, the throw of which iscontrolled by the position of the presser-toot as determined by thethickness of the work, and is unaffected by the lifting or thepresser-foot during each cycle of operation. With this object in view,the invention contemplates the provision of means for rendering theconnections intermediate the pull-oil and the presser-foot forcontrolling the throw of the pull-oil from the position or" thepresser-toot, as deter mined by the thickness of the work, ineiiectiveupon the pull-oil during the lift ing of the pressenfoot. In thepreferred form of the invention these connections are renderedineilective upon the pull-oft by moving them to neutral positions beforethe presser-foot is lifted. and by maintaining them in neutral positionsuntil the presser foot has been lowered into engagement with the work.In the present embodiment of the invention part of the acting throw of.

the pull-oil is in'iparted to the pull-oil before the prcsser-foot islifted. thereby moving the connections to neutral positions, and theremainder of its acting throw is imparted to the pull-off after thepresser-if'oot has been lowered into engagement with the work.

Renewed June 26, 1920. Serial No. 392,044.

tion of the presser-foot mechanism in machines of the above class.

Other features of the invention consist of certain novel and improvedconstructions, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafterdescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be readily understood from the accompanying drawingsillustratingthe invention in its preferred form, and the followingdetailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of ashoe sewingmachine embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 is a detail view in sideelevation illustrating particularly the presser-foot and pull-oli'mechanlsms.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is a machine for sewing uppersand welts to the insoles of welted shoes without first assembling theparts upon a last, and has the same general construction, arrangementand mode of operation as the machine illustrated and described inapplicants pending application Serial No. 861,215, filed September 11,1914. The machine comprises a curved hook needle 2, a curvedwork-feeding awl 4,

a shuttle 6, a take-up 8, an auxiliary take up 10, a pull-cit 12, atension Wheel 14, and certain other devices co-operating with theseparts to form a lockstitch seam, and a feed slide 16, all of whichparts, with the exception of the pull-off, are constructed, ar rangedand operated in substantially the same manner as the corresponding partsof the machine illustrated and described in the patent to French andMeyer No. 4573,8771, dated April 26, 1892. The machine also comprises achannel guide or work support 18, a member 20 constructed to form ashoulder guide 22 and a sole guide 24, and an upper edge guide 26 havingthe same construction, arrangement and mode of operation as thecorresponding parts of the machine illustrated and described in appliato grip the sole.

cants pending application referred to above. The channel guide 18 ismounted upon the feed slide, and is arranged to engage in the channel ofthe insole to support the same, as shown clearly in the drawings. Themember 20 is also mounted upon the feed slide, and is arranged toembrace the marginalportion of the insole, the shoulder guide 22engaging the shoulder of the insole, and the sole guide 9A supporting;the marginal portion of the insole upon its inner side. a presser-foot28 for engaging the outer face of the marginal portion of the upper andclamping the same against the member 20. and also acting to depress themember 20 to cause the shoulder guide and sole guide The constructionand arrangement of the presser-foot 28 are substantially the same as inthe machine illustrated in the application, referredto, but themechanism for actuating the presserfoot is different from thepresser-foot actuating mechanism of the machine of the applieation. Thepresserfoot is constructed to form a welt guide for guiding the welt atthe sewing point into position for the welt to be attached to the upperand insole by the stitches. The presser-foot is mounted upon an arm 30pivoted upon an extension of the awl stud 32, which is mounted upon anupright 34-v on the feed slide. The presser-foot is mounted in thismanner so that it may be lifted and depressed during each cycle ofoperations, and so that it will be reoiprocated with the feed slide.During each cycle of operations the presserfoot is depressed when thefeed slide is in retracted. position, and before the awl pierces thework, and remains in depressed position until after the feed slide hasadvanced and the needle has pierced the work. After the needle hasadvanced through the work, and before the feed slide retracts, thepresserfoot is lifted a predetermined distance away from the channelguide or from the work. and is held in raised position during theretracting movement of the feed slide. To enable the presser-foot to beactuated in this manner, the arm 30 is formed with a gear segment 36,the teeth. of which mesh with the teeth of a gear segment 38 pivotedupon a stud 40 mounted on the upright 34. For the sake of strength andrigidity, the ends of the awl stud and the stud. 40 are connected byaplate or block 4-2 clamped to the ends of the studs. The teeth of thesegment 38 also mesh with the teeth of the gear segment -14 formed atthe forward end of a lever -16 pivoted upon a stud 4L8. Pivoted at 50 tothe rear end of the lever 46 is a frame 52, the lower end of which isformed with a slot 54- in which engages the end of the rock shaft 58,the rock shaft serving? as a guide for the lower end of the frame.

The machine is also provided with The frame is held in elevated positionby springs 59 which act through the frame, the lever 46 and the gearsegment 38 on the arm 30 to hold the presser-foot in depressed position.The presser-foot is lifted during each cycle of operations by means of apawl 60 mounted on a cam lever 62 and arranged to engage teeth 64 formedon the rear end of the lever. The pawl 60 is pivoted at 66 upon the camlever 62, and is acted upon by a coiled spring 68 which tends to keepthe acting end of the pawl in engagement with the ratchet teeth 64-. Inorder to disengage the pawl 60 from the ratchet teeth 64 on the lever 46to permit the presser-foot to be depressed into engagement with the workby the action of the springs 59 during each cycle of operation, the pawlis formed with a projection 7 arranged to engage a fixed pin '76 as thecam lever swings upwardly. and thereby swing the pawl rearwardly. Thepin 76 is mounted at the upper end of an arm 78 adjustably secured atits lower end to the frame.

During each cycle of operations, starting with the cam lever in itsuppermost position, the pawl 60 then being held. out of engagement withthe teeth 64 on the rear end of the cam lever 46 and the presser-footbeing held in depressed position by the action of the springs 59, thepresser-foot mechanism has the following mode of operation: As theforward end of the cam lever 62 moves downwardly, the projection 74 onthe pawl 60 is disengaged from the pin 7 6, and the springs 59 act tomove the actingend of the pawl into engagement with one of the ratchetteeth 64. The continued downward movement of the forward end of the camlever then carries downward the rear end of the lever 46. This movementof the lever 416 through the gear segment 38 swings the arm 30 in adirection to lift the presser-foot. As the forward end of the cam leverswings upwardly, the pawl 60 is disengaged from the teeth 64: on therear end of the lever 46 by the engagement of the projection 74 on thepawl with the pin 7 6. The vertical position of the rear end of thelever 46 at the time during the downward or presser-foot liftingmovements of the cam lever when the pawl 60 engages one of the ratchetteeth 64, is determined by the position of the presser-foot, whichvaries with the thickness of the parts of the work lying respectivelybetween the pressenfoot and the member 20, and between the said memberand the channel guide. The pawl 60 will. engage one of the ratchet teeth64-. on the lever at substantially the same point in the downwardmovement of the forward end. of the cam lever, regardless of theposition of the lever 46. so that the presser-foot will always be lifteda substantially uniform distance, regardless of the thickness of thework. The

arm 78 which carries the pin 76 is adjustable vertically on the frame.To enable the arm to be adjusted vertically, a vertical slot 80 isformed in the frame, and the arm is secured to the frame by means of abolt 82 passing through the slot and threaded into the arm. By adjustingthe arm vertically the vertical position of the pin 76 may be varied tovary the point in the downward movement of the cam lever 62 at which thepawl 60 engages one of the ratchet teeth 64: on the lever 46. and thusto vary the distance which the presser-foot is lifted.

The thread from the supply passes about the tension wheel 14, over thepull-off roll, under the stationary thread roll 83, over the thread rollof the auxiliary take-up, under the thread roll of the main take-up, andthence upwardly to the work.

The pull-off 12 consists of a roll mounted upon an arm 84- secured tothe rock shaft 58. A second arm 86 is secured to the rock shaft, andcarries a pivotally mounted block 88 engaging in a groove 90 in anoscillating lever 92 pivoted at 94 on the frame 52. The lever 92 isgiven a back-and-forth movement during each cycle of operations, bymeans of a cam lever 96 pivoted upon the shaft 98 and connected with thelever 92 by means of a link 100. The cam lever 96 carries a cam roll 102engaging in a cam groove 104 in a cam disk 106 mounted on the main shaft72. As far as described. the pull-01f mechanism is similar to thepull-off mechanism of themachine of the French andMeyer patent referredto above, and acts in a wellknown manner to produce variations in thethrow of the pull-off arm in accordance with variations in the positionof the presser-foot due to changes in the thickness of the work, tocause the pull-0E to draw off from the supply during each cycle ofoperations the proper quantity of thread for the succeed.- ing stitch.As the stock varies in thickness the lever 46 and the frame 52 will bemoved to vary the distance of the block 88 from the axis of oscillationof the lever 92 to vary the throw of the pull-01f. Upon an increase inthe thickness of the stock the rising of the presser-foot will lower therear end of the lever 46 and the frame and increase the distance betweenthe block 88 and the axis of the lever 92, thereby causing an increasein the stroke of the pull-off arm 84. In a corresponding mannenupon adecrease in the thickness of the stock, the rear end of the lever 46 andthe frame 52 will be elevated, thereby diminishing the distance of theblock 88 from the axis of oscillation of the lever 92, which will resultin diminishing the throw of the pull-off arm 84.

When the pull-off is in the position which it assumes at the beginningof its threadpulling stroke, the arm 86 and the oscillat ing lever 92lie in inclined positions to the left of a line joining the centre ofthe pivotal connection 50 and the centre of the rock shaft 58. as shownin Fig. 1. and when the pull-off is in the position which it as sumes atthe end of its thread-pulling stroke. the arm 86 and the oscillatinglever 92 will occupy inclined positions to the right of said line. Inthe usual machine of the type of the present machine, the thread-drawingstroke of the pull-off starts be ore the feed slide retracts and. iscompleted during the retracting movement of the slide and the pull-offof the present machine has the same timing relatively to the feed slide.The presser-foot, however, of the present machine is held in raisedposition during the retracting movement of the slide. In order that thethrow of the pull-01f may not be affected by the lifting of thepresser-foot, but that it may be determined by the position of thepresser-foot while the presserfoot is engaged with. the work. the camgroove 104- in whichthe cam roll 102 engages is so constructed and timedas to actuate the came lever 96 to swing the oscillating lever 92 andthe arm 86 from their inclined starting positions at the left of theline connecting therentre of the pivotal connection 50 with the centreof the rock shaft 58, to a position in line with or substantiallycentral relatively to this line, as shown in Fig. 2, before thepresser-foot is lifted. This movei'nent of the arm 86 will swing the arm84- upwardly to actuate the pull-off to draw a certain amount of threadfroin the supply. Only a part of the th read pulling stroke is impart-edto the pull-oti'. however, before the presser-foot is lifted,

the remainder of the complete threadrlrawing stroke being imparted tothe pulled after the presser-foot is lowered into engagement with thework. With the lever 92 and the arm 86 in central positions, as shown inFig. 2, the lifting of the presserfoot will not affect the position ofthe pullolf arm 84. The cam groove 1(l4'in which the cam roll 102engages is formed with an idle portion which engages the roll while thepresser-foot is lifted so that the lever 92 and the arm 84 are held incentral position until the resser-foot is lowered into engagement withthe work. After the presserfoot is lowered the cam roll 1.02 is engagedby an active portion of the cam groove'lO-i which acutates the cam lever96 to swing the lever 92 and the arm 86 into inclined positions at theright of the line connecting the centre of the pivotal connection 50 andthe centre of the rock shaft 58 to complete the stroke of the pull-off.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and havingspecifically described a machine embodying the inven foot.

tion in. its preferred form,what is claimed 1s:

1. A wax-thread shoe sewing machine, having. in combination, stitchforming devices, a work support, a presser-foot, means for lifting thepresser-foot during each cycle of operations, an oscillating ull-ofi',means for actuating the pull-off to draw thread from the supply duringeach cycle of operations, connections controlled by the position of thepresser-foot determined by the thickness of the work for varying theactive throw of the pull-off, and means for rendering said connectionsineffe tive upon the pull-off during the lifting of the presser- 2. Awax-thread shoe sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch formingdevices, a work support, a presser-foot, means for lifting thepresser-foot during each cycle of operations, an oscillating pull-off,connections controlled by the position of the presser-foot as determinedby the thickness of the work for controlling the throw of the pull-off,and means for actuating the pulloff constructed and arranged to impartthe first part of the acting stroke to the pull-01f to move the,connections to neutral positions before the presser-foot is lifted, andto impart the remainder of the acting stroke to the pull-off after thepresser-foot has been lowered into engagement with the work.

3. A wax-thread shoe sewing machine, having, in combination, stitchforming devices, a work support, a presser-foot, a lever operativelyconnected with the presser-foot, means acting on the lever to lift thepresserfoot during each cycle of operations, a frame carried by thelever, an oscillating lever pivoted on the frame, a pull-off levermounted on a fixed axis, a variable connection between the oscillatinglever and the pull-off lever for actuating the pull-off lever, and meansfor actuating the oscillating lever constructed and arranged to placethe same in neutral position relatively to the pull-off lever during thelifting of the presser-foot. 4E. A wax-thread sh'oe sewing machine,having, in combination, stitch forming de-- vices, a work support, apresser-foot, a lever operatively connected with the presser-foot, meansacting on the lever to lift the presserfoot during each cycle ofoperations, a frame carried by the lever, an oscillating lever pivotedon the frame and having a guide, a pulloff lever mounted on a fixedaxis, a block carried by the pull-off lever, engaging in the guide, andmeans for actuating the oscillating lever constructed and arranged toplace it in a position substantially parallel with the line of movementof the frame before the presser-foot is lifted.

5. A wax-thread shoe sewing machine, having, in combination, stitchforming devices, a work support, a presser-foot, a lever operativelyconnected with the presser-foot, means acting on the lever to lift thepresserfoot during each cycle of operations, a frame carried by thelever, an oscillating lever pivotcd on the frame, a pull-off levermounted on a fixed axis, a variable connection between the oscillatinglever and the pull-off lever for actuating the pull-off lever, and meansfor actuating the oscillating lever constructed and arranged to impartthe first part of the acting stroke to the pulloff lever to move theoscillating lever to neutral position relatively to the pull-off leverbefore the' presser-foot is lifted, and to impart the remainder of itsacting stroke to the pull-off lever after the presserfoot has beenlowered into engagement with the work.

6. A waX-thread shoe sewing machine, having, in combination, stitchforming devices, a work support, a presser-foot, a presser-foot lever, aseries of gear teeth formed on the lever, a pivoted gear segment meshingwith said teeth, a second lever, a series of gear teeth formed thereonmeshing with the teeth of the gear segment, a series of ratchet teethformed on the second lever, a cam lever. a pawl mounted thereon forengaging said ratchet teeth to actuate the second lever to lift thepressenfoot, a device for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet teethduring each cycle of operations, and a spring acting yieldingly on thesecond lever to engage the prcsser-fo'ot with the work.

7. A wax-thread shoe sewingmachine, having, in combination, stitchforming de- Vices, a work support, a presser-foot, a lever operativelyconnected with the presser-foot, a frame pivoted upon the lever, a guidefor the lower end of the frame, a spring acting yieldingly on the frameto engage the presser-foot with the work, a series of ratchet teethformed on the lever, a cam lever, a pawl carried by the cam lever forengaging said ratchet teeth to actuate the first lever to lift thepresser-foot, and a device for disengaging the pawl from the ratchetteeth during each cycle of operations.

8. A wax-thread shoe sewing-machine, having, in combination, stitchforming devices, a work support, a presser-foot, a lever operativelyconnected with the presser-foot, a frame pivoted upon the lever, a guidefor the lower end of the frame, an oscillating pull-off, connectionscontrolled by the position of the frame for controlling the throw of thepull-off, a spring acting yieldingly on the frame to engage thepresser-foot. with the work, a series of ratchet teeth formed on thelever, a cam lever, a pawl carried by the cam lever for engaging saidratchet teeth to actuate the first lever to lift the presser-foot, and adevice for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet teeth during each cycleof opera tions.

9. A sewing machine having, in'combination, stitch forming devices, aWork support, a presser foot, means for lifting the presser foot duringeach cycle of operations, pull-01f mechanism actuated during each cycleof- 5 operations to draw thread from the supply, connections controlledby the position of the presser foot as determined by the thickness ofthe Work for Varying the efiective operation of the pull-off mechanism,and means for rendering said connections ineifective upon the pull-offmechanism during the lifting of the presser foot.

FREDERIC E. BERTRAND.

